Why pay for an expensive dash camera that will take up yet more space on your dash when you can just use your phone to record accidents and incidents? I certainly can’t think of a reason, and now Sygic GPS Navigation users can do just that with Sygic’s new BlackBox app.
This new add on application uses your phone’s camera as a dash cam and works simultaneously with Sygic GPS Navigation for iOS. The interface for BlackBox is pretty straightforward: You turn on the feature and then mount your phone to a dashboard mount and start driving. The app will record the view from your vehicle in a continuous loop with embedded GPS coordinates, speed, time and date.
No only can drivers save 5 minute long videos to their phone gallery to share with police and other officials in the case of an accident or emergency, but the app also integrates with social media. Personally, I’m not sure how useful that function would be, but I suppose it would make it harder for you to lose or accidentally delete the video before the insurance companies get to the claim several months later.
Here’s what the Sygic CEO said about the app in a press release:
“I believe many small things make a big difference. By joining all of our 50 million users’ efforts together, we may make this planet a safer place to live. As a parent, I always wish to get my kids home safely and now I am excited I can be a part of a company that makes this world a better place for them,” Sygic CEO Michal Štencl said.
Despite the weird social media connection (and really, what DOESN’T connect to Facebook and Twitter these days?) if you are a Sygic user, this app would be incredibly useful to have and could protect you in the case of an accident. It can be purchased for around $11 from the GPS Navigation app.
One big reason for not using an iPhone for navigation and dash photos is heat. In the desert southwest an iPhone mounted in the sun will quickly shut down due to overheating.